Like many consumers, we resonate with the stated mission that Honest Company markets, and we consider their diapers to be a legitimately green brand. But, given performance in our tests and the relatively high cost, buying competing green diapers is a much smarter option in our opinion. Out of the 11 green diapers we tested, The Honest Company diaper placed 4th overall; yet, it was one of the more expensive diapers. The Honest diaper offers cute graphics, and are legitimately a health and earth-friendly brand. But the company has also engaged in marketing tactics and made statements in the past that we feel exaggerate, and in some cases completely mislead consumers in our opinion, into thinking their products are more green than they really are. We are also concerned about the number of users who have written to us complaining about feeling misled by the so-called "free trial offer" the company makes, and then are horrified to find they have been automatically subscribed to the company's diaper service (only to find it then challenging to undo the subscription). In the end, it is our opinion that this company has a history of being less than honest in their marketing habits, and it is our opinion that the company appears to be more concerned about making a profit than in being fair and honest with their customers.

Bottom line: we feel there are other superior green diaper options worth considering before buying the Honest diaper. In our tests, BAMBO Nature product offered significantly performance at a slightly higher price for those looking for the best green diaper for their baby, and Earth's Best Tender Care offers similar performance at a significantly lower price.

BabyGearLab Editors' Hands-on Review

Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

The Honest Company appears to us to be a place where celebrity endorsement got mashed up with a green product marketing strategy to create a unique blend of great looks and eco-salesmanship. The company was founded by actress Jessica Alba and eco-health thought leader, Christopher Gavigan, author of Healthy Child Healthy World (a fabulous book we wholeheartedly recommend, with advice on how to create a healthier, less-toxic, and more environmentally sound home for your baby).

We love the stated mission of Honest Company, and yet we wish the company's actions were more in line with the kind of behavior we'd expect from such a lofty mission (and a company named "Honest"). However, the actual performance of the Honest Diaper in our tests was not as impressive as the top competing green diapers, and the Earth's Best Tender Care diaper offers similar performance for significantly lower cost. We also have objected, in multiple emails to the company co-founder Christopher Gavigan, to the company's previous use of marketing claims that we feel mislead customers into thinking the diaper is entirely free of petrochemicals, when in fact it is not (more on this below, see Other Pretty Important Information).

Consumer Complaints
We feel it is important to note early in this review that there is no single baby product company that we have received more negative consumer feedback about than The Honest Company. This is of obvious concern to us, and moreso because so many of the complaints describe situations where customers feel they were misled by the marketing tactics of the company. Some consumers expressed a feeling that they were oversold on how green the product is, or felt they were misled by the so-called free trial offer which resulted in them being signed up for the automated subscription service. The situations consumers have complained about impress us as the kinds of things a company is in control of, and frankly we expect more from a company who literally calls themselves Honest.

Performance Comparison

This photo shows the absorption comparison test results for some of the green diapers we tested.

Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Absorption and Leaks

The Honest Company diaper scored fairly well for absorption in our tests, earning an 8 in this metric, which tied with both Pampers brand diapers. Only BAMBO Nature and Nature Babycare scored higher with a 9 and 10 respectfully. Attitude and Broody Chick came close with a score of 7. It is worth noting that Honest outperformed the well-known Seventh Generation Free & Clear diaper handily on absorption, which scored a disappointing 4 of 10 on this metric.

Up the back leak

Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

The current version Honest diaper scored significantly better in this year's absorbency tests than did the first version of the diaper we tested in 2012.

Relies on Petro-Chemicals for Absorbency
Like Pampers and other traditional diapers we tested, Honest Diapers include the petroleum-based chemicalSAP, as a key moisture absorbing ingredient in their diaper's core. This petro-chemical is in the absorbency layer close to baby's skin, and as noted in a statement on the Honest Company website (on 1/18/13, which was later removed), can be considered "in direct contact with infant skin 24x7." We'd recommend that those parents who wish to avoid petro-chemicals in their diapers look to cloth diapers instead. Honest Company claims to use a "reduced" amount of petroleum-based SAP in their diapers, but when we asked co-founder Christopher Gavigan to quantify what was their approximate % reduction of petroleum-based SAP relative to competing diapers, he declined to answer because he considered the details proprietary. We find the Christopher Gavigan's refusal to clarify how much petroleum-based chemicals are included in their diaper relative to competing diapers to be disturbing, especially so given the company's stated philosophy of transparency and integrity. We're left concluding that the company is hiding something that they'd prefer the public didn't know.

In terms of leaks, the Honest Diaper scored above average for leaks in our tests with a 6 out of 10, but that was still on the low side for the top green diapers. Earth's Best scored much higher, with a 9 out of 10 in our tests, and it is significantly cheaper on average. BAMBO Nature and Broody Chick both scored higher in this metric, with a 7 and 8 respectfully. Broody Chick was higher than The Honest Company for price, and scored only slightly better overall in our tests.

The absorption test for The Honest Company (left), Nature Babycare (middle), and BAMBO Nature (right) are shown below. The larger green area indicates more surface moisture; less green indicates better absorption.

Comfort and Durability

Stretchy Side panels

Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

In our tests for comfort, Honest earned a 4 out of 10. While that score may seem low, it was on par with the other diapers in the top 5. Only BAMBO Nature scored higher with an 8, and that was only matched by Babyganics Rear Gear. Honest earned some points for the overall softness of the materials compared to the other diapers we tested, and extra points for friendly side and back elastic that was nice on baby's skin and increased overall comfort and fit.

For our durability tests it scored a 4 out of 10. Both Best Value pick, Earth's Best Tender Care, which scored a 6, and Editors' Choice, BAMBO Nature, which scored a high 8, did better in this category. Price did not seem to be an influencing factor for this metric, with diapers in every price range scoring high and low with no real discernible pattern. Honest did score better than Nature Babycare by a point, and it tied with Broody Chick again, which also earned a 4.

Eco and Health

In our eco and health metrics, Honest did fairly well with 5 for health and 7 for eco. Honest earned health points for being free of chlorine, latex, lotions, fragrances, common allergens, phthalates, PVC, heavy metals, organotins (MBT, DBT, TBT) and what they describe as "harsh" petrochemical additives. However, the fine print is important here because the petrochemical Sodium Polyacrylate (SAP) is explicity noted as included in the product, and as far as we can tell, is the crucial ingredient in the absorbent core of the diaper. Honest is engaging in some fancy marketing-speak by using the words "no harsh petrochemicals" in a way we think many consumers will be misled into thinking they mean "no petrochemicals" at all, but instead are simply saying they don't think the petrochemicals they rely on are particularly "harsh."

In addition to the petro-chemical Sodium Polyacrylate, Honest also adds in what they call a "natural citrus and chlorophyll odor inhibitor", but we aren't fans of odor add ins no matter what they are, and we feel a diaper doesn't need an odor inhibitor. If a diaper smells, in our opinion, it really ought to be changed not altered so it doesn't smell as bad as quickly.

In general, Honest gives a good nod to baby's developing systems. But it did have some healthy competition in our tests. BAMBO Nature earned an impressive 8 out of 10 in this category, which was the highest of any diaper we tested. Nature Babycare also did well with a 6 out of 10. Both diapers scored higher in our tests than Honest, and both diapers cost less and are more widely available.

It is fair to note that Honest scored well in Eco-friendly in our tests, scoring a 7 out of 10 in this metric. It had some good company near the top with Nature Babycare and Attitude scoring them same. Broody Chick was almost as good with a 6, but once again BAMBO Nature outdid them all with an 8 out 10. Honest earned points in our tests for using sustainably harvested pulp, plant based components, no chlorine processing, and for earning several eco-awards including being cruelty free and being a Certified B Corporation.

Value

Relative to the other diapers in our test, both green diapers and conventional, Honest Diapers are among the most expensive. Honest Diapers have started to become available from some traditional retail channels including Amazon, Target, and Bed Bath and Beyond. Prices vary widely, but we've seen Size 3 as low as $0.38/diaper in larger quantity packs. This seems to be good news and we hope the product continues to become more generally available and lower prices.

Subscription Pricing
Honest provides a discount if you sign up for their monthly subscription service which bundles in wipes in a combined package. We feel the requirement to buy both diapers and wipes in a subscription bundle makes it hard to figure out the actual cost per diaper. Fortunately, Honest Company allows you to buy in smaller quantity packages without signing up to a subscription, but the cost is relatively high per diaper compared to competing bulk packages. We calculate the Honest Diaper price at: $13.95 for a pack of 36 size 3 diapers + $5.95 shipping = $0.55/diaper. To get a lower price per diaper (still high compared to alternatives), you need to sign up to the subscription which is delivered in higher volume packages. The subscription price for size 3 is about $0.37/diaper at the time of this review, $79.95 per month gets you 216 size 3 diapers, and has the added benefit of including 280 wipes for free, an $11 value. If you subtract $11 for the wipes, the net cost per diaper is $0.32. However, other diapers are available for steep discounts if you buy them on subscription. For example, Earth's Best Tender Care subscription price from Amazon (which includes free shipping and 20% off if you join their free Amazon Mom's program) is $0.26 per diaper, a substantial savings compared to Honest Diaper's subscription price, and for an excellent green diaper that offered better overall performance in our tests.

We believe that a subscription model can be a convenient and economic option, once you've settled into a specific brand, but we prefer the simpler subscription model offered by Amazon which offers more flexibility to choose the product(s) you want, a straight-forward discount, clear per unit pricing, and free-shipping. Amazon's subscription discounts vary, but range from 5% to 20% off the regular Amazon price. The deeper discounts, of 20% off, are available in some cases if you join Amazon Mom's. Unfortunately, Honest Diapers are not available from Amazon's subscription program at the time of this review. Too bad, because with Amazon's discounts the Honest Diaper might be much more compelling.

Best Applications

Parents swayed by the marketing and famous figure endorsement might be drawn to this diaper.

Variety of cute graphics

Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

With the super cute graphics you get to choose yourself, and good scores overall it is hard not to be curious about this trending diaper. However, given the high price tag, questionable honesty (see below), and limited online ordering or bait-and-switch subscription services, we just didn't feel it was the best option available for parents looking to be better to Mother Earth. BAMBO Nature, our Editors' Choice, is a great green diaper that scored significantly better overall, earning higher scores in every metric at a much cheaper price. And while you may not get to choose your own patterns for the cover, you do get a pretty cute little animal graphic.

Conclusion

Despite very cute graphics, and a strong green offering, we feel these diapers did not perform well enough in our testing relative to other eco/health brands to justify the higher price. Both BAMBO Nature and Nature Babycare scored higher overall, and both were higher in the key metric of absorption. In addition, they both scored better in the eco/health; metrics that green diapers should excel in. Both are significantly cheaper than Honest. This diaper wasn't bad, it did rank 5 out of 24 in our tests, a bump up from last year, but its high price still makes us shy away from recommending this diaper. It just isn't as good as diapers that are cheaper.

Other Versions

Credit: Micah James

There are no other Honest Company diapers, but the diapers are sold is a variety of colorful and cute patterns.

Other Pretty Important Information

A History of Misleading Marketing Claims

Last, we found the Honest Company's previous marketing to be misleading when it came to describing their product's inclusion of synthetic materials. Which led us to wonder how honest they are really being.

Synthetic Chemical Free, Ummm, Not Really

While company co-founder Christopher Gavigan told us the Honest Diaper is 80% plant-based (which is laudable), the most prominent page of the website (as of Jan 18, 2013) about the Diaper Bundle described the product as "100% plant based" and not exposing your baby to any "synthetic chemicals (ever!)" (see highlighted section of this screen capture from 1/18/13). Yet, the website also clearly notes on other pages that their diapers do include petroleum-based sodium polyacrylate (SAP) for absorbency, just like conventional diapers, and they openly admitted to their use of petroleum-based SAP when we inquired for details. We don't know how the diapers can simultaneously include the petroleum-based chemical SAP as a key ingredient and also be 100% free of synthetic chemicals.

Is SAP a Skin Irritant?

In a section on the Honest Company website published in 2013 titled, "What's Inside Disposable Diapers", the company was highly critical of competing diapers inclusion of SAP in their absorbent core, stating "sodium polyacrylate (SAP) is the main component of those absorbent gel crystals found in many diapers and it can be a skin irritant." They mocked competing diaper companies for including SAP by stating, "Great idea to use it in something that's in direct contact with infant skin 24x7, right?" We raised concern about these statements, and they were subsequently removed. We found it very ironic, and really not very honest in our opinion, when you consider that Honest Diapers also includes SAP as a key ingredient in their diaper's absorbent core. In contrast to their comments about SAP causing skin irritation when they were criticizing competitors' use of it in their marketing materials, when talking about their own use of SAP on their blog Honest Company states, "[SAP has] been rigorously tested and found to be safe and non-toxic." In reply to our inquiries about their use of SAP, the company's Senior Product Manager said, in justifying their use the petro-chemical SAP in the diaper, "no one's going to use a diaper if it doesn't work!"

Honest Diapers rely on the petro-chemical Sodium Polyacrylate, AKA Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP) gel crystals (shown above) as a key ingredient for absorbency. Honest claims to use "reduced" amount of the petro-chemical SAP, but refused to answer BabyGearLab's request that they quantify the amount of the petro-chemical used in their diapers relative to competing brands.

Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Is Putting a Petro-chemical in a Diaper "Earth Friendly"?

Similarly, the company's other co-founder, Jessica Alba, described in the April 2012 issue of Parenting Magazine her disappointment in learning that "some so-called 'earth-friendly'" brands of diapers include petroleum-based chemicals as ingredients. Describing a brown diaper she used on her own baby, she said in Parenting, "But then I found out that the inside of the diaper had that same petroleum-based stuff in it that other diapers had." She failed to disclose in the interview that her own Honest Diapers also include that same petroleum-based stuff inside their diaper. We feel that kind of omission is deceptive, and likely leads consumers into believing that Honest Diapers don't have any petroleum-based chemicals inside.

We asked Honest Company if Jessica could provide clarification about her comments in Parenting, and whether she was aware at the time of the interview that Honest Diapers include a petroleum-based chemical as a key ingredient. In her reply to BabyGearLab she said, "It's really difficult in quick interviews to get into all the nuances of product design and the science behind each ingredient. I've learned it's best to keep things simple. I am well aware our diapers contain a small amount of SAP and never meant to imply otherwise. Also, while I'd prefer everything to be totally petrochemical-free for ecological reasons, everything has to be balanced with effectiveness too."

We believe as a founder and celebrity endorser of the Honest Diaper, Jessica has a legal and ethical responsibility to avoid misleading consumers in her widely viewed promotional interviews and public relations on behalf of the company. The FTC guidelines for celebrity endorsers make it clear that, "both advertisers and endorsers may be liable for false or unsubstantiated claims made in an endorsement."

How Do You Define, Honest?

We feel the company makes an interesting product, but the history of their misleading marketing both on the website, and by celebrity co-founder Jessica Alba, are a distraction from their product's genuine integrity and only serve to somewhat undermine the sense of trust and ethics so emphasized in the company philosophy and name.

While we are not very familiar with the technical legal details of the FTC's Section 5: Unfair or Deceptive Acts or Practices (pdf) guidelines, we have to wonder if the company has crossed an ethical and perhaps a legal line in their previous marketing statements. To us, the statements were misleading, and we see consumers posting on the web that are [mistakenly] convinced that the Honest Diaper is free of petro-chemicals as evidence that consumer confusion has been created. After contacting the company to express our concerns about their marketing on several occasions, we are happy to report that some improvements were made, and we consider that a good step in the right direction. Yet, at the same time, we continue to receive more complaints from consumers about The Honest Company, than any other baby product company. We hope we continue to see this trend toward being honest from The Honest Company.

Editors Note: Our original review of Honest Company diapers was published on Oct 31, 2012. We updated the review in January 2013 following an email dialogue with Honest Company product management and a subsequent phone interview with Honest Company co-founder Christopher Gavigan. This review, updated May 2014, is our third significant revision of the Honest Diaper review that includes new test results of their updated product.

Where to Buy?

Thinking about buying some gear we've reviewed? Help BabyGearLab out if you do. Just click on any of the above links and if you make any purchase, a portion of sale helps support this site. It won't cost you anything extra, and it's a simple way to help us fund things like our gear reviews. Thanks!

*Most retailers free shipping offers apply only to lower 48 US states, and for ground/economy shipping. See retailer's website for details.

I ordered the Honest try it out package for $5.95 shipping, based on the cuteness of the diapers and the message that they are environmentally friendly. I thought it would be a good step in between Pampers and cloth diapers to do my part. And basically free diapers, who doesn't want those!

The diapers worked the same as Pampers. Before I could get through the 7 diapers in the trial, I noticed a diaper rash around the elastic on my 20 month old daughter. I'm not sure why she would have a reaction, but it must have been something plant based. I kept her wipes the same so it was definitely something in the diapers.

CAUTION - This trial is NOT FREE. I noticed buried in an email I was now enrolled in a monthly delivery of the diapers at over $100/month. It must have signed me up with the trial package. There is no way to cancel online and I have been sitting on hold for 10 minutes now trying to cancel. I would not recommend getting enlisted in any kind of trial because the time investment is so long to cancel.

Bottom line - be aware that these *may* cause diaper rash and the customer service is extremely slow.

After I ordered the trial package for a week or two, I received a big box goods of delivery from Honest Co. and my credit card charged $170.00. I was shocked that Saturday morning. I want to give a call to the company but the customer service only open on Mon to Fri. I called Monday morning and I found out once I received the trial package, I am auto enrolled to their monthly subscription. I was upset about it because I wasn't clearly inform that I will be enrolled to the subscription when I order my trial package. The result was I will be charge around $16 restocking fee to return the big box. I guess this is the money I pay for the lesson there's no "free lunch" and always remember to read every little line of the user agreement while I want to give out my credit card information. Phone representative was nice, but the wait time is about 20 mins.

We tried them all, one big name brand caused one of our twins to develop welts, it was maddening to find out (after researching) the horrible chemicals that are added to diapers. Honest diapers don't leak for us, nor cause welts. Savings coupon here for $10.00 off your first order: goo.gl/9D04yE The coupon will show once you proceed to the cart… copy and paste the goo link in order to redeem the coupon (it will automatically happen once you do so, no need to do anything else).

Out of all the diapers I tried including bambo these are by far THE BEST!!! I do not know what happened with their research, but they were extremely absorbant for my little girl! Poop explosions were rare, no rashes, and no wet feeling against my daughters skin. Even with the free shipping for the subscription, I had to cancel I just can't afford them but wish I could. They are by far the best. Very disapoined I have to cancel.

If you still feel the need to try Honest Company diapers after reading the reviews, due to the admittedly really cute designs, just keep these facts in mind:(1)The size they suggest,and what you normally would use,will be too small.Go up one size. I am stuck with 4 packs of size 4 diapers that are uncomfortably small for my grand daughter.It says for between 22 and 37 pounds. She is 29 pounds. Too small.(2)The diapers are stiff and rough.(3)Don't even attempt to use them over night, trust me on this one.(4)It's too expensive to return or exchange an order. But your beloved child will be in the cutest,too small, uncomfortable,leaky diapers on the block!

To be honest myself, I haven't used the diapers. I am revieweing the customer service and the company's policies.

these diapers are cute. No two ways about it. and a healthy green product gets extra points in my book.

Although it seems they might not be as clean and green as the company claims.

and I really don't like their policies about automatically signing you up for an $80 / month subsciption after you try their "free" sample.

i've found that most companies offer free samples of diapers and creams and wipes and don't charge you for shipping let alone signing you up for a costly subsription and then making it difficult to cancel.

With The Honest Company, you have to call them during business hours to cancel. you can't do it over email which I think is sketchy.

if their prodicts are so great, they shoudl speak for themelvs and not need tricky tactics to rope customers in.

This review is really just a warning to those who don't always read the fine print--like me. My kids are older, so I didn't order diapers; I ordered sample bundles of skincare products, cleaning products, and vitamins.

After trying a couple of Honest Company products that I found at our grocery store, I decided to order a sample bundle of their products online. Yes, I completely missed the fact that I was signing up for a subscription! I can place the blame on myself for skimming and not really reading the fine print. No biggie. My mistake.

What's annoying is how you have to cancel the subscription. There is absolutely no way to cancel online, and in my opinion, anything that can be subscribed to online should be able to be cancelled online. Also, if you go into your bundles and remove the items to be shipped, every time you leave the page, it will repopulate the shipment. Clever. The only way to stop a bundle from shipping is to push out your shipment date, and you can only push it out a week. There's also no way to remove your payment information. I tried. :)

Bottom line, you will be forced to call the company directly to stop any further shipments and cancel the membership. Don't bother emailing. You can't cancel that way, either. My hold time was about 7 minutes, and once I finally reached someone, cancellation was quick and easy. I received an email after my phone call confirming cancellation. No real complaints about that part, except that I didn't want to take the time to call them in the first place.

Although I like their products, I value customer service as much as quality. When companies make their customers jump through hoops for any reason, I will choose another company. IMO, because of the difficulty in canceling shipments and subscriptions, and the fact that you can't remove payment information, this company's business practices border on DIShonest.

While I am very happy with the wipes (best I have found), I find the diapers to be on par with Target brand and Pampers. Actually, I find the sizing to be a bit off. They are a little smaller so my daughter fits in the next size sooner than she does with Target or Pampers. My biggest complaint is with the actual company. I signed up for the delivery service, which is supposed to make it easier on busy moms but I found it to be more complicated and frustrating. I put the next delivery on hold for a few months because I had more diapers than I needed. In the meantime, my mother in law ordered us a subscription and I ended up with more size 2 diapers than we would ever use. In order to return or exchange these diapers, they were going to charge me a $10 restocking fee. I find that to be ridiculous. As a result, I cancelled both subscriptions and I will no longer use or recommend this company.

I recently signed up to get the free trial of baby diapers. While signing up for the free trial, I saw (and it was quite obvious) that I would be signed up to receive the bundles thereafter, unless I called to ask them to stop. So - note on that there - it is in writing and there were multiple areas where they listed this piece of info. Very honest, in my opinion.

Second - today I called to cancel the subscription (I just need two weeks' worth of diapers for travel). They informed me (after like a 30 second wait) that sure, they could do this, but that there is also the option to put things on hold for when I wanted to order a pack/bundle. So, I can still buy the amount I need, whenever I need, I just need to indicate the date that I want to order the bundle and can change it to be whenever I want, so I don't get stuck with monthly bundles. Excellent! It's on need-basis, so I don't feel like it's a set schedule for subscriptions. Very easily modified.

Third - the diapers themselves. My husband diapered up our son today and noticed leaking along the waist. That is probably because we haven't used this sort of diaper in a long time (we cloth diaper). I just checked his most recent diaper and have found no leakage whatsoever. Yay!

Fourth - love the designs. What kind of ink do they use?? I hope it's plant-based.

Fifth - so far no welts or rashes! Will update after several days' use.

Sixth - they have informed me that you can mix sizes in your bundle should you feel like your baby is transitioning between sizes.

Seven - they have informed me that you can do a trade-out if you have a set of unused diapers that aren't the right size for your baby - they want you to be able to use the diapers and not waste! COOL!

Overall - don't see why people are complaining about the subscription. Pretty straightforward. Diapers function so far so good. I feel good about buying a product that is eco-friendly (to a degree) that I can use whenever I need to travel, and through a company that is easily accessible.

I prefer cloth diapers, but my youngest baby was having major rash issues and the prescription creams and ointments we were having to use were not CD friendly. Since we had to use disposables, we were hoping to find some that were eco friendly as well as gentle for sensitive skin. We tried a few different brands with disappointing results. When we heard about Honest, one of the big draws was all the cute prints, although price was prohibitive. So we tried the sample pack and were pleased. It was clear that we were signing up for a subscription service that we would need to cancel within a certain time frame, so I am failing to understand how and why people feel so mislead. We had also received the cleaning products samples which we also liked, but we decided to cancel that because of cost, and while there was probably a 10 minute wait for customer service, canceling was easy and customer service was extremely friendly.

Anyhow, we decided to keep the diaper subscription. The diapers have worked out really well. They are super absorbant, adorable, they fit well, although I think personally they run a bit on the smaller side, and they do not cause any rashes or problems for my daughter, whose skin is
extremely sensitive. I am not pleased about the confusion or misinformation as to what exactly they put in the diapers, and that concerns me, but I still have to say that these are the best green diapers we ave ever used. Also, the wipes are amazing. They are very soft, large, durable, and clean gently but effectively. The only wipes I have ever liked that come close to these are Seventh Generation wipes, and I still prefer the Honest wipes.

OK, the subscription it could not be easier. You do NOT have to get a shipment every month or every 30 days. You can go online and schedule the shipments for whenever you want. I get them every 6-7 weeks, because for us those 6 packs of diapers go a LONG way, and I have yet to run out of wipes before I get another shipment. You are never stuck with a set schedule - the date can always be changed right up to the very day before your package is set to be shipped. You can choose the prints and everything (if you don't choose anything they will send you whatever, or if you had a previous shipment they will send the same things you ordered the last time). The only thing I wish I could do online is order a mixed shipment, such as diapers in different sizes. This can be done, just not online. I have done this by customer service and it sometimes can be a lengthy wait, but never more than 10 minutes, and every time I have spoken with customer service they have been very polite, friendly, helpful, and extremely easy to work with. I have never had any problems or issues whatsoever.

The only reason I gave this 4 stars and not 5 is because yes, even with the subscription they are still a bit pricey. And I don't like the vague answers about SAP/no SAP/ small amount - that annoys me. I like clear, honest, direct information. That being said, though, that is the ONLY issue I see with Honest. I don't think they mislead customers at all about subscriptions. People just don't read all the information or pay attention, and they they want to blame the company for tricking them. I never felt tricked or mislead. And I don't get all the varying, huge costs - my subscription has been a straight forward $79.95 each month, free shipping. Every time. I have been a happy customer for several months now and I have no plans to end my subscription service at any time in the forseeable future.

I am curious as to what others are getting charged $160 for as I have only ever been charged around $80. If you read the page you are signing up for the free trial on it very clearly states at the top of the page you will be automatically signed up for the monthly subscription. You cannot fault the company for your failure to READ what's right there.

I absolutely love Honest Diapers. We have ONE leak through early on and went up a size and had no more problems. We have had a few blowouts but as a mother to five I can tell you this can happen with ANY brand diapers (and I have tried most of them) my 7 month old has never had a diaper rash with Honest but did several times with Pampers Sensitive that we were gifted when he was born. We have been getting our bundle for at least 5 months and the only problem I've had is print availability ONCE and when I emailed customer service she gave me 10% off and I still got the prints I wanted.

I also love their wipes, never had any be dry ever. They are thick and clean very well.

Overall I am very pleased with Honest Company diapers and wipes and would give them 5 stars if they were cheaper.

I have been using these diapers on my grandchild for the past week and the first thing I noticed is that they are more absorbent than other brands. She has allergies and food sensitivities and chlorine free works best for her. I have used Seventh Generation, Whole Foods brand, Earth's Best, Pampers and Huggies. Only Whole Foods and Earth's Best have worked, but they both leak and cannot be used overnight without doubling up. Pampers and Huggies cause her to break out. Seventh Generation needs to be changed way too often because they don't hold much liquid.

Honest diapers are pricier, I won't argue with that, but so far after a week, they are working out better than all other brands that I have tried.

I have been buying them from Target. I would never do subscription because Grandma knows what she is doing.

I like the idea of this company and wanted to see what the hype was about. I ordered a free trial of the diapers/wipes and personal care products. As for the diapers, I would not recommend them. While they are very cute and feel nice, my son (who is not a big baby) pooped yesterday and it exploded into his pants. This never happens (we normally use Pampers Cruisers or Baby Dry). It seems that the diaper is a little on the small side, which is odd because they ask how much your baby weighs and suggest a size and I even went up a size! They suggested size 4 and I got size 5, yet they were a bit small (and again, my baby is not big!).

I love The Honest Company diapers and wipes. I love they don't test on animals and are more free of chemicals etc than other diapers. I get a monthly bundle it's lasts aprox 6 weeks and the wipes are great added bonus.

I have a 2.5 year old boy and have been using the diapers since he was six months. I have had no leakage issues for pee or poop. No diaper rashes. I find their absorbency equal to Huggies, pamper and better than other green brands. Yes, they fill up, but all diapers do. My son sleeps in them and even at height of night peeing they were great (for us, other brands and/or the booster inserts caused a rash due to wetness on skin). I always go for the bigger size diaper for extra air flow. For me and my son, the fit is great. I think they are soft and have great elastic band. Started to use training pants too and love them.

I am really confused why people are being changed 160 if they don't cancel, as the bundle (6 packs of 35 or so diapers) is 80/ month. Also, most 'free trials' automatically enroll you unless you cancel. This isn't some sneaky unknown ploy, their is a note about that when you sign up. But .life is crazy with kids so hard to see and remember everything.

Their customer service is great and I also use most of their body and cleaning products. All smell and work great. Plus, the no harsh chemicals and no animal testing is my priority.

I ordered two months worth of NB around Thanksgiving to get 50% off and my friend gave me two months worth of size 1. I started with these because of their limited chemicals and cute designs. Those turn out to be the only pros because my little boy leaks out of them during the day. Forget wearing them at night. I wake up every two hours for feeding and he is always wet so I only use these in the day until I run out. The poo also goes right up the back if I am not careful as the waist band has no elastic give. Little man is always a little red around bath time because they are not soft at all.
I am very glad I did not sign up for the reoccurring mailing as it would have been a waste. This is how I got all my size 1 - they mailed automatically to my friend and she needed the next size. Shipping was too much to get her return so I got them instead.

BUYER BEWARE: I would NOT recommend anyone order the sample package as you will automatically receive monthly bundles for $160 unless you call and cancel. Their products are okay but not worth the price or the headache of shipping product back. Definitely there are other products out there that are better and less expensive.
Maybe Jessica Alba needs to take a business course and learn about customer satisfaction.

Tried this "free trail" for a low price for shipping ($5.95 US), they then send you a e-mail telling you it actually becomes a monthly bill for around $160/monthly! I think not! Only way to cancel is to call and I had to wait 25 minutes to get a hold of someone finally! You have to wait until after you get your "free trial" and have to call back to get it cancelled. I can't remove my credit card information either, definitely NOT a honest company! Rate this a 1 out of 10 it would be 1!

After reading the negative reviews, I thought I would provide some feedback. I used Pampers since day 1 with my daughter. I noticed in the morning when I would change my daughter's diaper that it smelled really bad. I tried the Honest diapers because I liked the plant based material and there is no smell. The absorbency in Honest is comparable to Pampers. The Honest diapers have a solid pad, similar to a cloth diaper instead of granules, which I love. They may be a little pricier, but they have been great for us. We ran into a leakage issue and customer service told me to go up a size. We went up a size and we haven't had any leakage since. Customer service in phenomenal. I have been using Honest for over six months and I plan on using them with my next children. My daughter has had one rash since using Honest, which clears up in a day with Desitin. My husband was against Honest at first and A few months later I mentioned switching to a different diaper, something cheaper and he wouldn't let me.

Terrible business practices. They make it attractive with a "free" trail with a low $5.95 shipping fee. But, they later tell you what the membership entails a page later if you scroll down or in a separate email. You will be sent 2 bundles monthly at the approx. cost of $160 billed to your credit card! And you cannot cancel anytime like they say you can! There is no way to manage or cancel your order online. You must call. But only when they are open! There is no way to delete your own credit card info from their website! I feel like they stole my credit card number! I almost feel violated to the point to cancelling my current credit card to avoid the monthly fees! Dishonestly 100%!

Do not support this kind of business. It's just not right what they do do trap their customers.

This is going to be almost a copy-pasted version of the previous review: we looked for safer wipes online for our son to avoid all the bad Parabens and Phenoxyethanol. We discovered this company and were actually seduced by their products and mission statement.

We ordered the Honest "FREE" sample package for $5.95 shipping to get a better idea of what to order in their entire catalogue.

Not only the diapers did not work better than the brand we were using before but they even created a terrible rash on our 16-month old son (or are these their wipes?).
The wipes are dry and stick to each other which must be pretty annoying on the long run.

So we decided not to go that route and look for another brand that would satisfy us and our son better.

Now the worst part begins !!!! What they call a "free trial" ends up being a monthly service where they stuff you for over $160 worth of products before you can even react and cancel it.
There is no actual way to cancel and manage your orders/subscriptions on their website, they force you to call their Customer Service(even an e-mail is not accepted).

We had to stay for 25 minutes on the line before talking to an operator who ended up offering a 15% discount on the bundles !!!
Seriously ??!!!?? You shoveled those products we never ordered down our throats and you don't accept them back ?

Those $5.95 did cost us over $160 because we did not go and read the fine prints at the very bottom of the page and we are now sitting with all those products that are not suitable for our son.

If I were to choose between Earth Best and Honest. I would choose Earth Best. The honest diapers are cute but I dont like the flaps on the diapers at all! Earth best is stretchy and def more absorbent. Even looking at it you can tell its more absorbent.

I have tried there other products too and to be honest I don't think they are all that great of Quality. The only think I like on there are there new wipes. Dish soap is horrible, the hand soap is horrible and it squirts across your sink and the smells are completely different then the sample one they give you! I did email them about that and I was very upset what they told me. Just a bogus answer. I use Whole Foods soaps all the time and the smells don't change and its better quality and CHEAPER!

Lotion ok, Shampoo ok, surface cleaner ok but soapy looking..

I feel they are overall overpriced. But they do smell good with some of there products. Needs improvement. I wouldn't recommend this at all. Go to Whole foods or Amazon.

My son has very sensitive skin and I bought into the "natural" jargon and decided to splurge on these diapers, in the hopes that he would get less rashes and b/c they really are oh, so cute. These diapers just don't feel soft. They are very stiff. Recently, we went to a pediatric dermatologist and she said to avoid the products with "plant-based" labels, as they are often harsher on sensitive skin. We have switched back to what we used when he was born, Pampers Swaddlers, and are much happier.

I have been using Honest Diapers for three months, after noticing a VERY strong chlorine smell coming from the Pampers Sensitive Swaddlers that I was previously using.

The designs are fabulous--so cute and I like that I can pick and choose which ones I want each month. The diapers fit well, have not irritated my daughter's skin at all, and do a good job containing blow-outs--definitely comparable or better than Pampers.

They do tend to leak urine out the front when my daughter has been sleeping on her belly all night (roughly 10-11 hours, leaking probably 5/7 days per week). I am about to go up a size though, and am hoping that will eliminate the problem. Otherwise, I haven't had any issues with absorbency during the day.

The price for the size we are in comes out to $0.33 per diaper without even subtracting the cost of the wipes. Shipping is free for orders over $50, so my monthly bundle does not incur shipping fees. Each month I get 6 packs of diapers and four packs of wipes, and I use 3 packs of diapers per month, and 3-4 packs per wipes, but they are being used for my older daughter who is also in diapers. So, I am getting more than a month's worth for sure.

I have been very pleased with my experience with Honest, and their customer service is wonderful. I am recommending the product to my friends constantly.

I've used both Honest Company and Earth's Best diapers and I agree with the Baby Gear Lab reviews on these products. I found that the Honest Company diaper would get chunky or uneven when wet which I didn't care for. I also think the construction of the two is nearly identical, and if you go to the Valor Brands website and look at their Eco friendly diaper, the materials used appear to be what is used in the construction of every diaper they make. so if Honest and Earth's Best are both made by Valor, it's hard to believe that the Honest Company diaper is so much more unique or Eco friendly than Earth's Best. Perhaps they changed the ratio of SAP to other filler to be more Eco friendly (while also less effective and chunky in the process), I don't know. Either way, if Honest provides more disclosure, but uses the same materials, it does not make them more eco friendly than EB. I think Honest Company is selling an idea or an image that it's cool to be eco friendly and trying to make diapers fun. If they worked out to the same price I might use them, because we all need a little incentive to think diapers are fun but I have an issue with their shipping costs and their excuses for charging shipping to a customer who has already signed up and committed to use their $80 product every month. So until the Honest Company can expressly state what makes their diaper different than Their direct competition, or lower their prices either directly or by waving shipping, I'll be sticking with Earth's Best.

Their baby wipes are made in China with China's local water as one of the only ingredients. The co-founder of the company called me himself and said that simply filtering the polluted local water, which they found 6,000 dead pigs in this week, was all that was required prior to using that polluted water to make the wipes. I refuse to trust any product from this company while they continue to make their wipes with polluted water in China. The website says their diapers are 100% plant based, but Chris says they are only 80% plant based. The diapers still carry the SAP toxin as its absorbent core. Not to mention, disposable diapers are no where near are safe, natural, and easy on the environment as cloth diapers. It saved us a lot of money and ensured a safer, better for the environment solution when we purchased the All-In-One cloth diapers with the inserts and one size fits all snaps. They hardly ever leak, so can be used even when leaving the house! We also now make our own wipes, even reusable ones, using 100% natural, food grade ingredients that are 100% safe for our baby's skin!

BY far, the best diapers on the market. I've tried Earth's Best and Seventh Gen. Honest Diapers are way more absorbent. I don't know what how you guys did your test, but I definitely have never had any leakage with Honest diapers, where as I regularly had leaks with Nature's Best.

Also, even though I can't submit reviews on behalf of my friends. I could give you a list of at least five girl friends who will tell you, basically, the same story.

Facebook messages actually are helpful and have give aways (unlike most fb companies I have friended)

I have been trying the Honest Company diapers for about 10+ weeks now. I have placed three orders. The first was newborn (size 0) which are up to 10 lbs. My girl was born at 9 lbs and the nurses said her diapers were barely fitting her, and to get the next size up asap. By the way, it was often mentioned how cute the diapers were, and I agree. After placing a call to the Honest Co. they got me out a new box in five days. At that time, I did not have any hold time and the customer service agent was very nice. After about a month I realized I had to call and see if there was any way I could get a refund on the seven packages of size 0 diapers I couldn't use no problem! I was charged about $5 for a restocking fee and they emailed me label and had them picked up with no additional cost and refunded the rest! At 2months she is about 12lbs and went online to do this change to size 2! lol. this is normally a bit early for a 2.5 month baby, but I guess she's part weed like her daddy:)

Additionally, when they had a new type of tab added to their diaper they had several complaints within a couple of weeks. So they put out and email saying to call them if you were unhappy with the new style and they would make it up to you. So, I called and they gave me a whole new order for free. Then they had a gift promotion, that even allowed you to gift to yourself a six months supply of diapers or about 1/3 less! You know I got that promptly!

After a couple of days researching safe toxic-free diapers and thier ingredients, I got it down from two (Honest Diaper Co. and Seventh Generation), to one, the Honest Co. diapers. This may sound bad to some, but I had little concern for what any diaper did for the environment in my search. My main focus was my baby's health and then price. After I learned about the affect of SAP and how it is approved for use in diapers, I began to do allot of research. I already have some extensive time in research the horrible way that the FDA allows so many very very harmful things in our food, cosmetics, cleaning products and vaccines, that I knew I had to dig deeper. I short, I don't trust them, not one bit. After all SAP was taken out of tampons because it was found it caused Toxic Shock Syndrome in some women. With that finding I thought about how many babies die and they just put it under the general spectrum of SIDS as the cause. Sorry, I think there may, I repeat, may (I'm not a fully educated scientist) be a link!

Sorry I can't do much of a comparison for you this is my only child and I have not used any other diaper. But I have found other links who talk on this by googleing the name of one brand vs. another.

Do not order from this company! The frustrating thing is that if you sign up for a recurring order, it is VERY HARD to cancel. You can sign up online but you can't cancel online. You can't send them email. And their customer service number is VERY LIMITED. I ended up calling my bank and having them call a different customer service line to cancel out my order.

As far as the diapers go, they're cute but not that absorbent or great.

The Honest Company, not so honest. Ordered the free sample for $6.00 and was then charged $150.00 (overdrafting a bank account) 3 weeks later for a bunch of garbage we did not order. Contacted the company and was told it was too the late items had already sent and we would have to wait to be refunded our money. Horrible customer service and trickery from the "Honest Company."

The diapers leaked like crazy. My baby was not having any solids yet so his BM was always all over his body because of the honest diaper. Not to mention that it's waaaaay too expensive than any other diaper our there.
I have also needed to talk to their sales reps a few times and it was not the best experience.
I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THEM AT ALL.
I wish someone had told me before I spent too much money on them.

Did you know?We buy all the products we review at BabyGearLab ourselves, at retail just like you do, to help assure complete objectivity and independence in our ratings. We won't accept any free evaluation units from manufacturers. Read more about our process to create the world's most carefully tested and objective baby product reviews on our About page.